Device for providing a constant supply of material for processing



Sept. 15, 1970 K. w. QuEs'rE'R DEVICE FOR PROVIDING A CONSTANT SUPPLY OFMATERIAL FOR. PRQGESSING Filed Feb. 28, 1968 INVENTOR K421. M Quzsrsq'ATTYJ.

United States Patent 3,528,538 DEVICE FOR PROVIDING A CONSTANT SUPPLY OFMATERIAL FOR PROCESSING Karl Wilhelm Quester, Cologne-Lindenthal,Germany, as-

signor to Wilh. Quester, Cologne-Sulz, Germany, a

firm

Filed Feb. 28, 1968, Ser. No. 708,976 Claims priority,applicatiogrggermany, Mar. 1, 1967,

Int. Cl. B65g 47/18 US. Cl. 19857 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Supply devices such as mixing boxes, ramboxes or trough-shaped supply containers having a movable floor beltwhich is longitudinally limited by side walls are well known. Thematerial being conveyed through such a device is laid layer by layer onthe floor belt from a source device while the belt is stationary. Afterthe material in the device has reached a predetermined height as thefloor belt moves toward the frontal side of the box, suitable removaldevices carry the material out at that side of the box. In other words,the material is slowly moved forward to the removal point only when thebox has been completely filled. Even if the tobacco is irregularlysupplied to the box so as to form both thick and thin layers, arelatively regular surface results after the box has been filled. Oncethe box is filled removal from the pile of material takes place inuniform amounts. To prevent interruption in the supply of material tothe subsequent processing apparatus or treatment, at least two boxesmust be used together. In this way, the supply of material to thesubsequent processing treatment takes place from one box while the otherbox is being filled, and vice versa.

-If only one box is used to supply material to a subsequent processingapparatus or treatment station, the box must be simultaneously filledand emptied. A constant removal of material from the box is thereforenot possible because of the irregular supply from the initial source ofthe material. That is, the material being supplied to the box piles upon the floor belt with the greatest height being reached at the removalend of the box device. The irregular depth of the material as it passesthrough the box device as Well as any intermittent removal of materialfrom the box device, gives rise to undesirable variations in the removalof the material from the box device and therefore undesirable variationsin the supply of the material to the subsequent processing apparatus ortreatment station.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to provide aconstant supply of material to a processing apparatus or subsequenttreatment station through the use of a single box device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a supply box devicewherein the material being treated is introduced into the box deviceover only part of the length of the box.

A further object of the invention is to provide equalizing devices inthe box device so that the depth of the Patented Sept. 15 1970 "icepiled up material can be controlled over the length of the box which isnot being subjected to the introduction of material from an initialsource.

The supply device of this invention provides an absolutely uniformoutput amount of material at its removal or combing out point. Theconstant supply of material is then ready for further processing. Thematerial to be treated is initially introduced into the box device overonly part of its overall length. The floor belt of the box deviceconveys the material at the greatest filling depth along part of theoverall length before it reaches the removal point of the box device.Elements provided in the box device work on the material at its greatestfilling depth to insure uniform height of the material in the box beforeit reaches the removal point. The maintaining of a uniform height over aspecific length of the floor belt as it moves toward the removal pointinsures a constant and uniform removal of the material as it is carriedoff the end of the belt. The height of the material on the floor belt iscontrolled through the use of members provided at the top of the boxdevice for the purpose of equally distributing the material as it passesalong the floor belt toward the removal point of the box device. Thesemembers may include stationary or movable combs or rotating wheelcrosses distributed over the length of the box not being subjected tothe introduction of material from the source device. These comb membersor wheel cross members are adjustable in a vertical direction so thatthe height of the material may be controlled in the box device as itpasses over the floor belt just before the removal point in the boxdevice.

The delivery of a constant amount of material from the box device to asubsequent processing apparatus or treatment station is extremelyimportant in the operation of such devices as baling presses, pressingdrums, driers or similar machines. These particular applications requireuniform pressing at the same pressure over the entire bales beingproduced. This uniform pressing can be achieved only where the layersbeing formed in the pressing machines are formed in an even manner overthe entire surface being subjected to the pressure. Where a constantstream of material under these conditions can be supplied to suchsubsequent processing machine, many advantages are achieved. Uniformdelivery of amounts to a bale pressing apparatus would necessarilyeliminate the need for subsequent Weighing of a completed bale. That is,uniform pressure applied on equal and uniform amounts over a constantvolume would necessarily give the process the advantage of having auniform weight factor resulting. Therefore, the elimination of aweighing step would necessarily increase the efficiency by not requiringan additional, time wasting weighing stage for a completed bale. Inaddition the uniformity of the pressing operation made possible throughthe use of such a constant and uniform device supplying system wouldnecessarily eliminate any adjustment in the adaptation of the treatmentprocess to a varying amount of material. The particular box devicesupply system provides a constant supply to the treatment processthrough the use of only one box whereas any constant supply systemheretofore has required the use of two boxes as discussed herein above.

The material being introduced into the box device is obtained from asource supply which extends only over about two-thirds to three-quartersof the box length or the floor belt. A layer by layer filling of theintroduced material can be advantageously effected through the use of amixing belt. The belt which is well known in the art has the ability toreverse its motion and belt direction as it reaches the end position ofits cycle. The cycle of the mixing belt is adjusted so that it will moveover the desired portion of the box device length as indicated above.

3 Another method of introducing material onto the floor belt could bethrough the use of a pivoting funnel provided over the desired portionof the box device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Reference to an exemplary embodiment ofthe above described invention is shown by way of example in theaccompanying drawing as follows:

The single illustration shows the formation of a box device according tothe invention, in schematic longitudinal section.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT The box device, generally designatedas 1, has a floor belt 2 which runs over the rollers 3 and 4 in thedirection of arrow 5. A motor 6 drives the forward roller 3. The sourceof material which is introduced into the box device is located at astationary delivery point 18. The material is loaded onto a rotary belt7, 8, 9 which moves back and forth in the direction of motion 10. Thematerial is thrown once over roller 8 or 9 depending upon the directionof travel of the belt and its location at the time the material isloaded onto it. The operation of such a mixing belt 7, 8, 9 is wellknown in the prior art and its adaptation to the invention as disclosedin this process is within the ordinary skill of the art. The normalmovement of the mixing belt 7, 8, 9 is over the entire length of thefloor belt 2. However, the mixing belt 7, 8, 9 moves only over part ofthe floor belt 2 in the box device of the instant invention. One or moredevices for controlling the height of the material being piled on thefloor belt 2 can be mounted on the box device 1 in the direction of theremoval end 14. A wheel-cross constitutes the control device which isrotatable in the direction of arrow 12. The operation of such a controldevice such as the Wheel-cross 11 effects a combing ofi of the pile 13which is being controlled at a predetermined height. The operation ofthe wheel-cross in this manner controls the height of the'material at aconstant value on the removal side 14 of the pile 13. This control ofthe height at a constant value is effective in spite of the simultaneousaddition of material from the source of the rotary belt 7, 8, 9.

One or more rotary removal devices 15 which are movable in a verticaldirection, are located at the removal end 14 of the pile 13. As thematerial is removed from the pile 13, it falls downwardly toward afunnel 17 to supply a further processing machine not shown. A beatercross 16 located at the lower end of the removal space 14 operates toloosen up any material removed from the pile 13 as it falls toward thefunnel 17.

Since the material of the pile 13 assumes a constant height from thefloor belt 2 before the removal end 14, the regular operation of theremoval device 15 provides a constant amount of material removed fromthe box device 1. Since the removal of the amount of material isconstant, the supply of the material to the next operational machine issubsequently constant. A modification wherein the floor belt 2 isstationary during filling from the source from the stationary deliverypoint 18,

equalizing devices such as the wheel-cross 11 is necessary for thepurpose of maintaining a constant height where the material undergoesgreat variations while on the floor belt 2.

While the box device has been shown and described in detail, it isobvious that this invention is not to be considered as being limited tothe exact form disclosed, and the changes in detail and construction maybe made therein within the scope of what is claimed, without departingfrom the spirit of this invention.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, whatis claimed is:

1. A box device for providing a constant uniform supply of material forsubsequent treatment comprising:

(a) a movable belt means having a material introduction portion, amaterial height adjustment portion, and a removal end;

(b) means for supplying material to said introduction portion;

(c) said supplying means includes a reciprocating, re-

versible mixing belt operating over said introduction portion of saidmovable belt means;

(d) means for controlling the height of the material on the movable beltmeans at a substantially uniform level being located on said adjustmentportion of said movable belt means,

(e) said control means includes at least one equalizing device operatingover the adjustment portion of the belt,

(f) means for removing material from said removal end;

(g) means to loosen the material removed from the movable belt means and(h) means for directing the flow of loosened material to a subsequentprocessing point,

(i) said removal means includes a rotatable, vertically movable deviceoperating at the removal end before said loosening means.

2. A box device as defined in claim 1 wherein said loosening meansincludes a beater cross disposed at the end of said belt means.

3. A box device as defined in claim 1 wherein said control meansincludes height adjustable swinging combs operating to equalize theheight of the material in said adjustable portion.

4. A box device as defined in claim 1 wherein said control meansincludes at least one wheel-cross.

5. A box device as defined in claim 1 wherein said control meansincludes at least one comb-roller.

6. A box device as defined in claim 1 wherein said movable belt meansincludes a continuous belt running over end rollers,

said supplying means includes a stationary delivery point located at theintroduction portion of said belt, and

said mixing belt is located between said delivery point and saidcontinuous belt.

7. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said loosening means includesa beater cross disposed at the end of said belt means.

8. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said control means includesheight adjustable swinging combs operating to equalize the height of thematerial in said adjustment portion.

9. A box device as defined in claim 6 wherein said control meansincludes at least one wheel-cross.

10. A box device as defined in claim 6 wherein said control meansincludes at least one comb-roller.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,920,355 1/1960 Clark 19857FOREIGN PATENTS 1,174,593 3/1959 France.

RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 19875 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,528,538 e. ;r ll210 Inventor) Karl Wilhelm Quester It is certified that error appearsin the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrectedas shown below:

Column 1, line 9 delete "Q 395" and insert therefor smuap w smm m5 197!\ISEAL) Atteat:

Edward M. Flemlm, Ir,

mm 2. mm, in. M 0:5 Gomissionar of Patents FORM PO-IOSO (10-69]USCOMM-DC 603764 69 ll US, GOVERNMENY FIINYING OFHCE: Ill! 0!l6-3l4

